It’s no secret that the Lions have interest in receiver Sammy Watkins. Either they’ve been sloppy in concealing their desire to draft Watkins or they’re setting up a smokescreen.
Or maybe they want their interest to be known so that a team with a top-five pick will make the first move in possible trade talks.
The latter possibility gained some momentum on Wednesday, when the Lions brought defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to town for a visit. The chances of Clowney still being on the board at No. 10 are even slimmer than the possibility of Watkins still lingering after nine picks are made.
Maybe the Lions aren’t being discreet about their desire to move up because they want the Rams to pick up the phone and make the first move. Two years after the Rams finagled the No. 6 overall pick, two more first-round selections, and a second-round pick for the No. 2 spot in the draft, the Lions likely are leery about giving up as much, or maybe more.
The Rams seem to realize that the RGIII haul was based more on the player and less on the slot. The Lions, if they would be happy with either Clowney or Watkins, may simply want to move to the No. 2 slot, regardless of which player is after the No. 1 selection has been made.
Speaking of the No. 1 selection, there’s a chance the Texans could try to trade down and draft a quarterback lower than No. 1. Unless another team emerges as a clear contender to move up, the Lions could play the Texans against the Rams to get a better deal for the No. 1 or No. 2 pick.
Regardless, it’s clear the Lions want to move up. The question becomes how much it will cost. The cost could be less if the Lions aren’t the ones to make the first move. It’ll cost even less if the Lions can get two teams to bid against each other.